Lacerations of the corner of the mouth of the child
In children, the corners of the mouth often tear. This is often favored by moistening with the tongue. A common cause in small children is the friction that occurs when sucking on the pacifier.
Especially children with previous illnesses such as neurodermatitis or diabetes mellitus are more susceptible to this. If the corners of the mouth are strongly reddened and inflamed, it is very likely that a bacterial infection of the corners of the mouth is present. A fungal infection of the irritated areas is also possible.
Depending on the cause, either antibiotics against bacteria or antimycotics against fungi must be given. If the torn corners of the mouth are caused by another disease (neurodermatitis, diabetes mellitus), this cause must be treated so that the child can become symptom-free. Since the inflammation in the corners of the mouth can also become chronic, it is important, especially in children, to consult a pediatrician who can initiate the appropriate treatment. Other underlying diseases must be excluded and chronic tumor formation should be prevented. In addition, bacteria and fungi that have settled in the torn areas must be fought in time.
Prophylaxis
Prevention of mouth corner rhagades can be successfully achieved to a certain degree. This is concentrated on avoiding any risk factors (especially too dry or too moist skin, badly fitting dentures, allergens or mechanical or chemical irritations) as far as possible. In addition, one should take care to take good care of the skin and follow a balanced diet that prevents deficiency symptoms.If there is a vitamin or iron deficiency that otherwise causes no symptoms, one should still consider taking dietary supplements to avoid corner of the mouth rhagades and other consequential damage. However, all of these preventive measures are only partially effective, since in principle, infections develop in everyone and some people are simply predisposed to develop corner of the mouth rhagades.
